Tuesday, February 16, 2010

Life On The Isle de Grande...

The top editorial in the local paper this morning focused on how Grand Island was saved by the Governor when he used his influence to speed up the start to the second half of the already underutilized South Locust bottomland run to I-80. On a good day...the average two-way hourly traffic count on the current two-lane 6 mile stretch between 6 pm and 8 am runs about 60 vehicles an hour at best...and not much better from 8 am to 6 pm. This is based on my frequent counts...not the Chamber of Commerce or City Justificator's numbers. I am certain my count might triple during the two weeks of "TGISF."

The grade work has been complete for a couple years now and they just demolished the last farmstead in the way last week so it's full steam ahead. The funny part is had it not been for "Obama and The Stimulators" the multimillion dollar "Road to Gridlock"...(there are two stoplights within a block of each other just before it crosses Highway 34 into town...which will by the way be a major bottleneck come State Fair time...that is if they come) would have not been possible...maybe for years after the State Fair debut.

I suggest they name the thoroughfare "Hornady/Vavricek/Gnadt Drive" so years from now our most recent trio's legacy of failure will live on in perpetuity. And you know what? The present two lane South Locust and the other 5 primary entrances into GI would have easily handled the State Fair traffic. We gotta put on a show for the sake of the show no matter the cost. I would have rather seen the Obama money go to fill a few of the "Black Canyon of The Gunnison-like" potholes in town. How could we have done it without Obama and Dave Heineman? Take a bow guys.

Since the Mayor and Chamber are in such a toot to have this done by State Fair time...I can imagine the pressure they will put on the contractor. I can also imagine the quality of work from a rushed project...especially when the pace of most Nebraska roadwork is akin to the speed of Egyptian pyramid building when it comes to "gettin 'er done."

Of equal importance...Crime is down in GI this week...only 1 stabbing in a dugout clearing weekend barroom brawl...and a buried story about one of the local baseball teams doing a little preseason batting practice on about 20 car/truck windows this past weekend. Also as I predicted another mayoral candidate surfaced at the last minute...she didn't want to be Governor and I doubt she's a Democrat anyway. Mary Lanfear...a retired nurse...threw her hat into the ring and just in her introduction and a letter to the editor regarding gangs in GI's public schools...she is rising like cream to the surface when compared to the other wannabe's. Of course talking the talk is always easier than walking the walk. I do know though that when you want something done you call in a nurse...I've been married to one for 33 years and I speak from experience...they put in a harder day by noon than any three energizer bunnies do all day...sorry Unc.

I chose the round-about photo above for a purpose. One of the local citizenry suggested GI needed one at the famous "Five Points" intersection in a letter to the editor this morning. Hey pal...You trying to rid GI of all it's old people? Such a death trap would confuse and wipe out most silverbacks. You also have to have a population for round-abouts...and this ain't Houston. It's podunk Grand Island, Nebraska...even if they falsely report the population at 50,000 in 2010.

As you can tell by now...I don't like politicians pissing our hard earned wages away on unneeded projects.

Update...I falsely reported the batting practice numbers...there were only 19 reports...that were reported. I apologize for over-reporting earlier.

2 comments:

Don't knock it, OOITT - at least your city dads are doing something. We've been waiting for 30 years (or more) for a second I-80 exit over here in K-town. You guys have got 2 ... 3 if you count the Alda road. Hell, even North Platte has 2.

We have three...now four entrances from the Interstate...the east exit...SoLo...281 and Alda.

Your "dads" are probably the ones keeping Kearney on exit short. I know Kearney has a history of frugality...but 2nd Avenue actually has business...thriving business. To build another interchange would divert business from 2nd Ave. They can't have that. Although it has slipped some over the years...you still have a downtown as well...not a thrift shop Mecca trying to pass off as antique venues.

Another advantage Kearney has is the convenience to the Interstate...Grand Island's ancient "dads" wanted the 7 mile buffer zone to keep the I-80 riff raff out of their city. Who'd a thunk it?

Kearney has less crime. My wife talked with a lady from Ravenna while in Kearney last week and she said GI's crime is the reason she does all her shopping in Kearney now.

In regard to a fourth exit for Kearney...Odessa...2nd and the east exit...all Kearney needs to do is enhance the east exit and put a overpaas over the UP east of Buda. I look at the Arch as a something GI might have thought up...a bad idea. Been once...won't go back. My edutainment dollars were poorly spent that day. Most folks view a new exit for Kearney as a device to hold the Arch up. Maybe a little PR work is in order to reduce that chain of thought.

GI is a dying town...held up by a packing plant. Kearney is the gem of the Tri-Cities.